Macungie Borough Council gave approval for the new proposed location of Lumber Street at its meeting Oct. 15 and work can now proceed on acquiring permits to begin street construction.

The reconstruction of Lumber Street was occasioned by the land development necessary for building a new Devine School day care. Borough Manager Chris Boehm said the new school will go up first and then the borough can proceed with the street. The tentative timeline for completion of the school is the end of 2013, with 2014 as the latest for the completion of the street.

In addition, the borough will be gaining four new parking spots inset along the completed Lumber Street, a value of $6,000. This comes as a satisfying conclusion to discussions with landowners on adjacent Lehigh and Main steets concerned about losing their existing parking spots.

Boehm said she is excited to see the fulfillment of a project to strengthen the retail and aesthetic value of the currently empty space between Lehigh and Main.

"I think it's going to be really nice," she said at the meeting.

One of the approved changes made to the plan in recent weeks was for a temporary path from Main Street along the east side of Lumber Street to the new school. Boehm explained the school district buses would not go down Lumber Street to the day care. She said children would be dropped off at Main Street which she estimated to be a walk of about "a block, block and a half." The path will be available as long as the street is under construction until a sidewalk is built as part of the project.

Council is continuing to look into a request for a blind zone on Hillcrest Drive where a resident has requested some signage indicating caution to drivers.

Upon investigation, Boehm discovered a "blind pedestrian crossing" sign and a blank yellow caution sign that could be filled in with anything but council was unsure how to proceed without a more detailed request from the resident.

Some council members even expressed concern that putting up a handicap wheelchair sign would only promote an increase in similar requests and cited a request some years ago for a deaf child sign denied on those grounds. "At what point are we going to stop?" Boehm asked.

Council will ask Chief of Police Ed Harry to contact the resident to discuss how best the caution sign could be legally upheld and enforced to meet the resident's needs. Boehm will contact the Pennsylvania Association for the Blind and seek out some guidance from several residents.

Resident Marvin Moyer addressed the mayor with a passage from the Pennsylvania Borough Code which states that in the mayor's absence the council president is supposed to step into the mayor's role, perform his duties and receive his pay for that period. Moyer pointed out Mayor Ricky Hoffman has missed seven council meetings to date in 2012. At none of them has President Jean Nagle acted as mayor, nor has Vice President Greg Hutchison acted as president in her capacity in turn as stipulated by the code. Moyer suggested a portion of the mayor's salary be returned to the borough's general fund but his plea was met with no response.

Hoffman confirmed the Macungie Halloween Parade will take place 7:30 p.m. Oct. 27. Macungie trick or treat night is scheduled for 6 to 8 p.m. Oct. 31.